


wander and wait

by sinequanon



Series: telling tales [5]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, M/M, Prince Scott, Royalty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-18 19:15:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11881050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinequanon/pseuds/sinequanon
Summary: Wherein Kate is an evil stepmother, Scott misses his friend, and Stiles ultimately has his revenge.





	wander and wait

**Author's Note:**

> This story borrows from two tales you might not be familiar with: A Tale of the Tontlawald (Estonia) and La Ramée and the Phantom (France). You don't need knowledge of either tale to understand this, but both can be easily found online if you're interested in reading the originals.
> 
> Happy reading!

The woods surrounding the McCall kingdom were some of the most beautiful that Isaac had ever seen. It was a shame that Scott wouldn't let him go anywhere near them.

“No one has entered those woods since that poor family died fifteen years ago,” Scott told him. The two of them had been wandering aimlessly for hours on a rare free afternoon, and had ended up at the edge of the forest. “There was an edict from my father,” he added shortly, though Isaac couldn't help but notice the longing glance that the young prince shot the forbidden area.

“You look like you would go regardless of what your father decreed,” Isaac said gently, as Scott reluctantly drew his new friend away from the place. Scott shrugged, but didn't answer, and Isaac followed silently as the prince led him to a tiny cabin on the edge of the kingdom. He followed Scott inside and took a seat on the threadbare sofa that the other boy indicated. Isaac pretended not to notice immediately after when Scott put his head in his hands and his shoulders started to shake.

The cabin was sparsely decorated, but well-cared for, and Isaac could easily pick up the scents of Scott and his pack, as well as a trio of faint smells seemingly etched into objects here and there.

After a few minutes, the prince spoke again. “I was just a child when the family that lived in the woods was murdered by an unknown hunter.” Scott's eyes were red, his voice was even, and he didn't once look at Isaac. “I didn't know them that well, but Stiles was friends with them. When people started saying that the forest was haunted, Stiles wanted to investigate, to put his friends to rest, if need be. I was supposed to go with him that morning--” he let out an ugly sob that hurt Isaac to hear it, “but I didn't and then no one ever saw him again.”

Issac watched Scott take one deep breath and seemingly settle, and elected not to mention how the prince’s hands remained fisted at his side.

“This was a place for Stiles and I to get away, when my father was angry or Stiles needed to get away from his stepmother...I didn't want to bring the others here, but they needed to know Stiles's scent, just in case.”

“You think he's alive?”

Scott gave a firm nod. “I'm not a werewolf, but there has always been a bond between the two of us. I would know if he was dead.”

“Why have you taken in so many werewolves?” Crown Prince Scott's open acceptance of the supernatural had led more than a few families--including the Hales--to move into the area in recent months. It was pure luck that Isaac had met Scott, but the werewolf was curious as to why the prince had opened the borders despite his father's disapproval, and had gone so far as to form his own pack of sorts.

“I just did what Stiles would have done,” Scott said simply. “Let's get back before Alpha Hale sends out a search party for you.” Isaac followed him out, but not before taking care to memorize the stale scents so that maybe he too could help the prince find his friend.

<> <>

The group of youngsters affectionately known as the McCall pack had almost singlehandedly changed people's perceptions of the supernatural in all of the surrounding kingdoms in the handful of years that they had been together. Led by an idealistic human boy, the patchwork group of wolves, other shifters, and a banshee had arduously defended their kingdom from invaders and had eventually caught the attention of the Hale pack to the south.

Talia Hale sent her adopted son Isaac to learn more about the upstart group, and Isaac almost immediately fell in love with the quirky characters that made up the McCall pack. Less than a month after he had traveled to Beacon Hills, Isaac sent Talia an impressively long letter detailing all of the benefits of living in Scott’s territory. Two months later, the entire Hale pack had settled on the outskirts of the McCall kingdom with the prince’s blessing.

It was obvious to everyone in the Hale pack that Isaac was very fond of Scott, and it was easy to see why: he treated everyone with the same open-hearted fairness that gained him allies everywhere.

But for all the friends made and allies gained, only those closest to the alpha prince understood the shadows behind his eyes.

<> <>

No one ever ventured into the Beacon Hills forest anymore, and Stiles found that he did not mind that as much as he probably should. His parents were long dead, but he had a new family in the forest, and that was all that mattered. He missed Scott fiercely, of course, but Scott had no doubt found new friends; and in the forest, Stiles had no need to fear his stepmother Kate, for she, too, was afraid of the spirits in the woods.

More than once, King McCall had ordered the woods destroyed, to no avail: any tree or bush chopped down simply grew back overnight. Those who were brave enough to travel deeply into the forest would see a ruined house surrounded by beings that looked like men, women, and children, with an old crone stirring the fire now and again, and a black cat as big as a foal.

They would not see Stiles; Grandmother had promised him that. Uncle taught him how not to be seen, but to let his voice and laughter echo through the forest. His brothers and sisters taught him how to speak to the creatures of the wood and listen to the flowers and the trees and Tasha taught him to hunt and curled up next to him at night.

Years ago, Stiles had chosen to go into the forest in search of the spirits of his lost friends. Instead, he found a strange girl, alone, who asked him to stay and be her friend.

(Stiles had known then that she wasn't human, but he had considered his empty stomach and bruised arms and readily agreed to her offer.)

Stiles stayed with the family and learned many marvels, and grew and changed even as his family did not. One day, however, Grandmother looked into her fire and said that it was time for Stiles to leave because he had grown up, and it was time for him to go out into the world.

Grandmother turned him into a cat almost as big as Tasha and he started back to the kingdom he had left behind.

<> <>

Sheriff Parrish was not a stupid man. He had grown up under the former Sheriff's watchful eye, learning the trade and acting as an older brother to the Sheriff's son, Stiles.

When his father's head had been turned by the huntress Kate Argent, Stiles had disliked the woman immediately, going so far as to tell the king of his suspicions about the lady’s lawlessness. But Kate was cunning and beautiful, and young Stiles had no proof of wrongdoing, so the boy’s fears were discounted. Barely a year after the marriage, Sheriff Stilinski was dead, leaving seven-year-old Stiles in the tender care of Lady Kate.

Nine months after that, Stiles Stilinski went into the forest and never came out, and Jordan had never forgiven himself for the loss.

Lady Kate was nowhere near the woods that day, but all of the people in their corner of the kingdom had seen the changes in Stiles after the death of his father, no matter how hard he had tried to hide them. And even if Kate had played no part in the boy’s disappearance, it took less than a fortnight after he was gone for the lady to rid herself of everything that might remind her of the young man and begin living in the manner she thought was her due.

With help from Prince Scott and his pack, Jordan did his best to keep an eye on Kate while trying to find a way reopen the forest to search for Stiles.

He never imagined that it would be a silly dance that would finally change things.

<> <>

No one quite knew how to react when Prince Scott announced a ball for the newly arrived supernaturals, much to his father's exasperation. Some of them would undoubtedly not come for fear of being exposed, but Scott invited enough like-minded humans that most felt comfortable attending the gathering. A chance to interact with the infamous McCall pack definitely sweetened the pot.

(Absolutely none of them paid any attention to the King.)

The night of the ball was clear and bright, and although guests began arriving quickly, most were hesitant to mingle. The Prince went around, speaking to all and putting everyone more at ease, but no one dared make the first move. After a few uncomfortable minutes of everyone hovering around the edges of the room, it was Lady Erica--a member of Scott's pack--that broke the ice. Without observing any of the formalities, she simply walked up to Boyd--a member of the Hale pack--and dragged him onto the ballroom floor.

That seemed to be some sort of signal for the rest of the McCalls, for they spread about the room, pulling people onto the dance floor and mingling unashamedly by turns.

Derek could see where Isaac's fascination for the pack came from--they followed propriety just enough not to offend, but otherwise were completely free with their smiles, laughter, and opinions. It was captivating: Peter had been animatedly conversing with a red-haired banshee for the last hour, Laura and a new nyad had started some sort of card game with Lord Danny in the corner, and even his mother and father danced freely among the guests.

So, when dinner was done and the Prince told the story of his long-lost friend and asked for people to help him search the forest, of course Derek volunteered. It was the least he could do for the prince who had brought joy back into his family's life.

“I want to thank everyone for coming this evening,” the Prince said earnestly. “I know that it has not been easy for any of you who have come from kingdoms from the north or east, and I want you to know that you are welcome here. My pack and I are happy to offer sanctuary to anyone who seeks it.”

Scott's gaze wandered around the table, visibly seeking out his pack, before he continued. “I could not have accomplished nearly so much without my brother, Stiles, who disappeared these many years ago. It was he who taught me to look beyond the surface of things and inadvertently gave me the pack I have today. My father still refuses to open the forest to humans, but I would humbly ask your help in finding my friend.”

Derek didn't even look at his mother before raising his hand and offering his assistance.

<> <>

Two days later, Derek was rethinking his entire life. What on earth had possessed him to volunteer to go into the forest and search for a boy he had never met? True, no one could have looked at Prince Scott in that moment and not have been moved, but this seemed insane.

(Derek could see why people were afraid of this forest. It was eerily quiet and seemed to go on forever, and the werewolf already felt lost, even with his extra senses.)

He wasn't sure how long he had been walking, searching for he knew not what, when he came across a tiny village where all of the shops were draped in black, and a strange stillness hovered over everything. The people were unconcerned with a werewolf in their midst, Derek learned, and much more wary of the phantom cat that stalked the village at night. Although the cat appeared to be small, they said, it grew five times its size when angry, and had claimed a small chapel at the edge of town as its territory. All of the hunters who had tried to kill it had been found dead the next morning, throats ripped out. One of the men had even been missing an arm, his blood-splattered gun lying a few feet away.

Curious, Derek decided to stay a night in the chapel to see if he could spot the beast. The first night, he hid behind the altar during the hour while the phantom supposedly walked. He could barely hear the pad of its feet, and therefore jumped in surprise when the cat was suddenly watching him from atop the altar. It gave a great yawn, showing its teeth, but seemed otherwise uninterested in eating him. Within a blink, it was out of the chapel and into one of the nearby trees, leaving the werewolf to run after.

Whatever else it was, the cat was beautiful. It had a thick, tawny coat and long tail, and was covered in dark blotches. It hung from the tree effortlessly and stared at the wolf with its huge brown eyes. Derek got the distinct impression that the cat was sizing him up, and he fought off an offended growl. The cat seemed to know what he was thinking, however, because the second he stepped forward, the cat shot up the tree and out of sight.

The second night, Derek hid in the pulpit; the cat hunted for him for half an hour before it found him. This time, it butted its head gently against Derek's thigh and so shocked the wolf that the cat ran away before Derek could recover.

The third night, he did not have time to hide, because the cat was waiting for him. It watched him approach with its huge eyes and, as soon as Derek was within range, it leaped onto his shoulder and then to the floor as it shot out the door. Almost without thinking, Derek shifted to wolf and chased after it.

It was the most fun Derek had had in quite a while.

The cat and the wolf spent the whole night playing, though it mostly consisted of the cat delightedly hiding in trees and pouncing from above on an unsuspecting Derek, until the two finally curled up under the waning stars to rest.

<> <>

Derek woke to the sound of a crackling fire and a dark-haired, brown-eyed boy.

“More hunters will be coming soon,” the boy offered in lieu of greeting, “it's not safe to stay with me.”

“Who are you?” Derek asked incredulously, surprised that the phantom cat had turned into a real boy.

“Who are _you_?” the young man countered.

“My name's Derek. I'm searching for a friend of the Prince.”

The boy perked up at the mention of the prince, a small smile gracing his face, and the wolf felt his heart flip. “How is Scott?” the boy asked.

Derek froze. “Stiles?”

Stiles nodded distractedly, but continued as if Derek hadn't spoken. “I lived with the Tontlawald. They took care of me and kept me safe from Kate,” he gave a sad smile, “but I want to go home now.”

Without thinking, Derek pulled Stiles into a hug. “It's okay. We’ll protect you.”

Stiles had no idea who “we” referred to, but he believed Derek anyway.

<> <>

It was not much of an exaggeration to say that no one liked Lady Kate. People had respected her as the Sheriff's wife, but many believed (in the privacy of their own homes, where Lady Kate could not hear them) that she had driven the poor man to an early grave. Stiles, while sometimes difficult, was as well-loved as his father, and his disappearance did not sit well with the majority of the kingdom.

The King’s insistence in barring access to the forest only inflamed matters, and drove his son from his father better than any harsh words ever could.

Lady Kate didn't seem to care about any of it, so long as she had access to her late husband’s things. If anyone noticed that she was partial to his hunting rifles, they knew better than to mention it in public. When she came to court, people treated her with the respect due her station, if not her person. And everyone prayed in quiet moments for the safe return of the Sheriff's son.

<> <>

Derek had been gone for two weeks, and the only reason that Isaac wasn't panicking was because he could feel the other wolf through the pack bond. The last fourteen days had been difficult for the entire Hale pack, who been regaled with tales of Stiles and the dangers of the forest in equal measure. Werewolf or not, there was little that Derek could do against malevolent spirits, no matter how many protective charms Kira had weaved for him before he left.

The McCall pack, to the surprise of many, refused to shut itself away while waiting for news, instead aggressively pursuing positive associations with everyone around them, supernatural and otherwise. Isaac and Laura had helped build a house, dig a well, and pick apples with Scott, Erica, and Lydia in the past four days alone, and while it served to solidify the growing relationship between the two packs (through shared annoyance at Jackson, if nothing else), the entire community could feel the hum in the air that signaled a storm brewing on the horizon.

<> <>

Sheriff Parrish looked out over the east lawn of the palace with a sigh. This had been Stiles's favorite spot for picnics when the boys were little, which explained why Scott had chosen the area for today's occasion as well. Jordan remembered climbing trees after Stiles, Scott hiding behind the nearby bushes while the two boys giggled at their “success” in having hidden from him. It made him smile, despite the circumstances.

“Jordan!”

Prince Scott waved him over to a place where he and Isaac were attempting to herd the younger Hales into one spot long enough to eat. Jordan glanced at Talia, expecting her to take over, but the Hale alpha merely looked on in exasperation as the other two started handing out food. Soon enough, Scott and Jordan were the only ones who had not yet gotten something to eat.

“Derek's going to bring him home, you know,” Scott said with such a grin that Jordan had to believe him.

The tension that had hung heavily in the air since Derek had left lightened considerably as the day moved on, and by late afternoon everyone was pleasantly content.

Which meant, of course, that someone had to ruin it.

“Poor Scott, always so naive,” Kate interrupted near dusk, moving toward the gathering. “It's amazing you’ve lived this long.”

The chorus of growls was impressive.

“Kate,” Lydia said shortly, moving closer to Scott, “what an unpleasant surprise. Why are you here?”

Kate gave an exaggerated pout that fooled no one. “I heard about the new search for my poor, unfortunate stepson. Where else would I be but waiting breathlessly for news?”

Erica, who had been inching closer to Kate, tensed to leap, only to be pulled back by Boyd. “You were horrible to him,” she snarled. “You better hope you didn't kill him!”

Kate laughed. “I didn't have to kill him, did I? He did a fine job of that all on his own. I wonder how long it took for the meat to rot off of his bones?”

It was Jackson, this time, who opened his mouth to lambaste Kate, only to freeze and turn his head sharply in the direction of the trees. In fact, the McCall pack turned almost as one, and as Isaac followed their line of sight he suddenly smelled it, too. It was the same scent that had sunk into the essence of the cabin.

 _Stiles_.

Scott's gasp was loud in the sudden silence.

The young man stepped out of the trees, Derek closely behind him, and came to a stop only a few feet from Kate.

“Considering you’ve been sending people after me for years, I'm going to assume you can wait a little longer for that answer,” Stiles drawled.

“How did you--” Kate sputtered, frozen with shock.

Stiles shrugged, unconcerned. “You're going to have to pay for your crimes, you know.”

“You can't stop me.”

Derek squeezed Stiles's shoulder and stepped away, and in a single blink Stiles turned from man to cat. Unlike the small cat that had run with the wolf, however, this cat grew until it was five times its size and pounced on Kate with a ferocity that surprised even Derek.

As quickly as it had begun, it was done.

Stiles was human, and Kate was a red ruin on the grass.

Scott looked from Stiles to Kate and back again before running toward Stiles and pulling him into a crushing hug that had both of them sputtering for air. Scott just kept breathing Stiles's name into his shoulder, not moving an inch as the rest of the pack added themselves to the embrace. Jordan's hug was almost as tight as Scott's, but no less meaningful.

<> <>

Hours later, after all of the proper introductions made been made and Stiles was safely hidden from prying eyes, Derek found him staring out at the gardens with a strange look on his face.

“You didn't get that big in the forest,” Derek mentioned after a few minutes.

“It takes a lot of magic to stay that large,” he said simply, “and why would I need to? You weren't trying to hurt me.”

The wolf ignored the rush of affection at Stiles's words. “Are you okay?”

Stiles grinned. “Scott wants to have a parade, Lydia is already having new clothes made for me, and Erica keeps bringing me food. Jackson is being nice, and your family keep following me everywhere.” It was true. One of Derek's cousins was standing guard outside the room right that moment, and Derek would bet his inheritance that Scott would show up in the next ten minutes to check on his best friend.

“It's going to take a few days to sink in.”

“Like I said, we’ll always protect you,” Derek promised, sealing his vow with a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> The title comes from Sonnet XLV by Pablo Neruda.
> 
> Next week: I will be posting a lot next week, to make up for the fact that after next week, I won't be posting again until October. I'll be posting a bit of everything: crossover stuff, straight TW stuff, and Bleach stuff.
> 
> See you then, and thanks for reading!


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